"I won't!" returned Charley, succinctly, crowding closer to Roger, as she spoke.
"Well now, do you think I'm going to play alone all the afternoon with a baby?" roared Roger. "You're too little to work this teeter-tauter with me. I'm not going to stand it, I'm not. You get off!"
"I won't," repeated Charley, none the less firmly that the red lips trembled. "I runned away from our house to play with you and I'm going to play, I am."
"You ain't going to play alone and Mamma says I gotta take you home in half an hour if nobody doesn't come for you."
"I won't go home." Charley ended this time with a sob.
"Now don't bawl!" exclaimed Roger, in alarm, twisting the little girl's head around so that he could peer into her face. He kissed her in a paternal manner. "Don't bawl! I'll take care of you."
Charley wiped the kiss off on the sleeve of her checked gingham dress and smiled. Roger left the see-saw and climbed to the top of the board fence.
"Ernie!" he shouted in a tone that sounded through the quiet village like a siren horn. "Ernie! You and Elschen come on over!"
Mrs. Wolf appeared at the back door of the house next door.
"Ernie and Elschen are doing the dishes. When they finish they will be over."